This smaller area is full of Goblin Sorcerers that attack just as you enter. Rush down the wooden bridges, taking out the Goblins on the way.
Prepare a lantern before rushing ahead. There are many pitfalls – dropping down from the entrance is lethal.
At the bottom of the tower, an Undead Cyclops awaits. In comparison to the Eliminator, this guy is a push-over. Aim for the eye, or climb onto the head and attack.
Cross the bridge on the second level of the chamber to get another engraving. The bridge crosses a river of blood – check the ledge of the waterfall to find a hidden alcove with a Moonbeam Gem.
At the base of the blood river, there’s another engraving near the lower river entrance.
Dark Arisen
Forsaken Cathedral
Be prepared, a major boss lies ahead. The fat giant zombies can be annoying, but they’re easy to deal with once you latch onto their backs and attack the head. It’ll take time, but they can’t knock the Arisen off.
Down the spiral staircase, two more difficult enemies will appear. The Golden Knight and Silver Knight are two undead warriors guarding the entrance into the cathedral arena proper.
The Golden Knight attacks close-range, but with only one health bar he’s the easier of the two. The Silver Knight tends to hang back and use spells. Stop the Silver Knight when he heals the Golden Knight, he’ll pause in place and make himself an easy target.
Switch to the Golden Knight to finish him off. If you’re overwhelmed, back off and retreat up the steps. The Knights will not follow. Instead, they’ll reset positions and wait, where you can prepare another attack.
The Silver Knight will attempt to heal himself, and worse he’ll revive the Gold Knight if defeated. Attack the Silver Knight while he attempts to heal, and focus your attacks on the creature.
Neither is particularly tough. They’ll lunge forward with powerful attacks, but watching and dodging will make it relatively easy to avoid damage.
If they’re giving you trouble, just run straight past into the doorway they’re guarding. Look up in the next room to spot the white shine of another engraving.
The winding path leads down into another shaft full of giant zombies, banshees, and undead. Keep running if your pawns didn’t make it – there’s a broken Riftstone at the base of the shaft. It costs 15,000 RC to fix the thing.
The stairs nearby lead into a large arena where you’ll face off against the Dark Bishop. Come prepared with plenty of curatives and a mage with restorative / status cure spells.
The Undead Bishop appears over a Cursed Dragon. The dragon itself isn’t as difficult as a standard wyrm, with no crystal heart. It only has one health bar, making it much easier to defeat than other cursed dragons you may encounter on Bitterblack.
To defeat the Dark Bishop, you’ll need to ignore him and attack the wyrm. Dodge it’s swipes and lunges by circling around to its side, but try to avoid the tale.
Meanwhile, the Dark Bishop will summon up deadly magic. Watch the ground for red sigil circles, and keep moving. Some of his attacks are massive.
The Cursed Dragon’s debilitating poison breath will blind, and sometimes petrify. Avoid it at all costs.
The Dragon is very resistant to magic, but not so resistant to physical damage. Bring a party of pawns to reflect your need.
Once the undead dragon is killed, the Dark Bishop will continue to fight alone for a time. Eventually, he’ll possess the body of the dragon, giving the creature a glowing white aura in one hand.
While possessed, the dragon’s magic is far deadlier. He’ll summon massive tornadoes with High Maelstrom and more.
Aim for the head, and keep moving. The dragon will also attempt to snatch up one of the heroes and bite if they’re not released.
The possessed dragon doesn’t have more health than before. Bring him down, and you’ll finally be able to damage the Dark Bishop.
When the possessed dragon is dead, the Dark Bishop will remain stunned and vulnerable. Hit him with your fastest attacks. While stunned, you should apply serious damage to his health bar.
Eventually, the Dark Bishop will awaken and possess the dead dragon again. Defeat it while possessed to stun the Dark Bishop again. Repeat the cycle as needed, the dragon will only ever appear from now on in a possessed state.
Take too long, and the Dark Bishop will leave the dragon. If you still want to get in a stun, wait a time and the Dark Bishop will possess the dragon again.
Look above the entrance to find a slightly hidden engraving, then continue on toward the next shortcut, and the final stratum.
To the left of the entrance, look for a broken pillar. With a deft double-jump, it can actually be climbed, leading up to a higher ledge. Look left, there’s a winding passage leading to two secret treasure chests.
Dark Arisen
Corridor of the Hollowed
Just like the Corridor of Emptiness, this shortcut area features some handy amenities before heading into the final and deepest stratum.
Barroch is left of the gate, and his inventory has been nicely upgraded with more powerful gear. Not that his stuff will compare with what Bitterblack has to offer.
Through the locked gate, there’s a broken Riftstone near the stairs leading up and back to the entrance. Go ahead and return – if anything, check out the new epitaphs on the memorial stone. Reading new entries will earn easy XP.
Before continuing on, don’t forget to check the jetty over the water to get another stone epitaph. There’s also a Macabre Statue on the ledge to the left of the stairs leading down into the next area.
Dark Arisen
Rotwood Depository
These creepy place is haunted by difficult ghosts. Without magic or magically-enhanced weapons, these ghosts are going to be very difficult. They can only be harmed with physical weapons while they possess your teammates.
To help make the first encounter with these creatures slightly easier, run into the water-flooded room and look for a brazier marked by blue symbols. Interact and spend 300 RC to light ethereal fire. For a few moments, this fire will generate magical attacks that hard any nearby enemies.
The attack only lasts a short amount of time, but it can be very powerful. Activate it once the ghosts have you surrounded, and you can quickly take off a great deal of their health.
When they possess a pawn, unleash your most powerful attack to significantly damage them. One hit and they’ll disappear.
The watery room leads down two paths that basically lead to the same encounter. The left route takes you through a chamber filled with giant Saurians. The right path is more straightforward – drop down the hole at the end of the path filled with skeletons.
If you dash, you can escape most of those annoying leapworms. Halfway across, there’s another unlit beacon. Light it for a moment of respite, or to help defeat the ghosts that may still be hounded the party.
At the end of the path, fall into the pit to the left of the treasure chest. This final encounter can be very tough. There are several skeleton sorcerers and a powerful Eliminator. Don’t bother fighting them right now, run out of the cells to the center, and look for the lit exit door straight ahead
Fighting these tough enemies can come after a quick area change. Return and fight them while you’re prepared.
Dark Arisen
The Forgotten Hall
No rest for the weary – Death will immediately appear straight down the massive hall. He comes accompanied with zombies and a Lich.
Ignore Death during this fight. Stay far away, when it teleports near the Arisen or the Pawns, keep running. Hit and tun the Lich while keeping away from its magic attacks. It can get hectic, but managing the Pawns is crucial.
There’s no easy Riftstone access here. The remainder of Bitterblack is a straight shot of agonizingly tough dungeons before the final battle, with only one brief respite.
Be sure to call the Pawns to the Arisen often, don’t let them stand and attempt to fight Death. That will only lead to a party wipe.
There’s no running this time. Leaving and re-zoning will not make Death disappear. He’ll wait around until he decides it’ time to leave. Deal with the Lich, take care of the zombies, and keep running from Death until the reaper decides to leave.
If it’s taking too long, damaging Death will make it retreat faster. But, its resistances are outrageous. Avoiding attacks is the best strategy for now.
Garms are likely to spawn here, too. Three at once, as if one wasn’t enough. If you’ve been having trouble killing a single Garm, retreat through the doors and return to make the giant wolves disappear.
Try to limit the battle to the hallway. There’s an even more difficult fight in the courtyard ahead.
To the right of the statues, there are two doors. The left path leads onto a walkway where you’ll be able to study the enemies ahead. There are two Gorecyclops chained to the walls, with a gang of Dark Pawns patrolling the area.
The Dark Pawns consist of powerful sorcerers, striders, and rangers. They are relentlessly difficult, and trying to fight them all in the courtyard is a death sentence. The archers will pick off your Pawns while the magicians will unleash powers that can kill almost instantly.
Target the magic-users first. Try to draw them back if you’re a Strider, or pick them off from the ledge above before moving down. They’re easy to spot – just look for the bright lights of their spells charging in the distance.
Many of their spells effect only the ground. Maelstrom or the earth and ice elemental spells pop from the ground. Shooting from the high ledge will effectively make you safe – but they will use Torpor, Petrify, or any number of other spells.
Avoid the Gorecyclops – stray attacks from the Dark Pawns can free them. If that happens, it’s probably best to just run.
Try to draw out the wizards, or boost defense with priapts before dealing with the archers. There are no warriors to protect them until attempting to leave the area.
The exit is down the steps and to the right. If the Pawns are too difficult, run by. There’s finally some rest ahead in the following area.
Dark Arisen
The Bloodless Stockade
Right at the entrance to this zone, there’s a door into another of Barroch’s workshops. Skip to the next page to learn more, or stay hear to learn about the rest of the Stockade.
The hallway leads into a collapsed path. Jump through the destroyed bars into an interior corridor guarded by a Dark Pawn and an Eliminator.
The Eliminator is a massive pain. But, there’s a way to quickly drain much of the beast’s health bar. Wait for the Eliminator to get close, then activate the beacon in the interior corridor.
During a charge, the Eliminator is vulnerable to knock back. Hit the bruiser with a powerful special attack to send it flying. While on its back, it’s slightly more vulnerable.
Beyond the Eliminator, there’s a lower section of the dungeon guarded by a very difficult group of Dark Pawns. Sorcerers patrol the upper ledges and the lower area, combined with painful rangers.
Take care of the Pawns on the upper ledge before moving down. Try using the beacon below to easily damage some of the pawns, and retreat if you’re surrounded. This is one of the trickier fights in the dungeon so far, and it’s tough to draw the pawns out.
In the lowered area with the pawns, there’s a pathway leading to several more treasure chests. If you have power that knock enemies back, try sending the pawns into the water.
Speaking of the treasures, it’s very likely that one of those three chests will contain a Man-Eater. Let the Pawns open them, keep yourself alive.
Beyond the Dark Pawns, there’s a smashed gate leading to a ladder. Continue deeper into the dungeon to spot a ghostly figure.
Follow the strange phantasm! Bring plenty of oil, the area below is pitch black. Down the steps, there’s another beacon in the water surrounded by leapworms.
Ahead, you’ll find the true lair of Death. The black sewers below are covered with magic beacons, and Death will always spawn here. There are later levels of the stratum, but this is where Death will always appear.
To chase Death away, lead the specter to an unlit beacon, then light it up with rift crystals. Keep him around long enough, and each beacon can drain half of a health bar.
It’s very likely an Elder Ogre will spawn in the sewers on repeat trips. Use the same tactic – draw the Ogre toward the beacons. They litter the sewers, and the RC cost is absolutely worth it.
Dark Arisen
The Arisen’s Refuge
Remember the Warrior’s Respite? This area is similar. Here, you’ll find a broken Riftstone and Barroch. There’s a bench further inside, with a third request board to pick up Bitterblack’s last side-quests.
For those always looking for new Airtight Flasks, find two on the desk to the left of Barroch.
Don’t miss the Moonbeam Gem inside the furnace, to the right of the door leading into Barroch’s shop.
There’s an entire crate full of Dragon’s Spit in the basement of the shop. Grab them and save for later – no need to keep now, but they’ll become useful later. Go ahead and put the devices away, or hang onto a few if you’re so inclined.
Between two shelves in the basement, there are crates blocking a small alcove. Smash the crates to get another Macabre Statue.
That’s everything useful inside the respite. Prepare for the following area, there are only two zones left before the final battle, it only gets harder from here.
Dark Arisen
Sparyard of Scant Mercy
Prepare for another major boss battle. The Living Armor is found in the arena below, standing in silent guard of the final levels of Bitterblack Isle. There’s a broken riftstone – it doesn’t hurt to fix it.
The knight will not attack until the Arisen attacks it first. Come prepared with two magic-users equipped with powerful attack spells. The Living Armor has two forms – physical and ghost.
During the physical phase, the Armor can be hurt by any normal means. After taking out half the knight’s health, the armor will disappear. Only magic damages the ghostly armor – like phantasms, physical attacks just don’t work.
There is an easy way to defeat the armor. Lead the boss toward the ledge, wait for him to unleash a magic attack. After completing a spell, a powerful attack will send the boss flying backwards.
The knight is vulnerable to knock back when rearing back for an attack, as well. Wait near the ledge, and it’s very possible to blow the Living Armor into the bottomless pit.
Using this method won’t complete the request board quest, but it will open the exit door. It will respawn too, allowing the Arisen to farm for big XP. Just continue to knock the knight off the ledge.
Check out the high ring supported by pillars to find extra treasures. Across the gaps, there’s a chest and on one of the columns, there’s yet another hidden Macabre Statue.
Grab the epitaph stone to the right of the exit, then move on. It’s getting close now. This is the last area before the final boss.
Dark Arisen
The Fallen City
The first trip through the Fallen City is actually quite peaceful. No enemies will spawn, but ghostly figures will appear on the route to the boss.
Follow the ghosts and cross the rock bridge to the double doors marked on the map with a purple waypoint. There’s a broken riftstone to the right of the doors. Later, this will be a helpful stop. Build it if you’ve got the RC.
Down the stairs, following the main path, take a right turn and look for a chest near the ledge. Beyond the chest, there’s a hunched dead body with a Moonbeam Gem.
Return trips will yield new encounters. Cursed Dragons or Death will appear over the city randomly. Gargoyles and powerful Dark Pawns will always appear. The enemies here are at their highest level, if you want to gauge your readiness for the final boss, keep practicing against the Dark Pawns.
Dark Arisen
Bitterblack Sanctum
Welcome to the lair of Daimon, the final boss of Dark Arisen.
Right away, you’ll see that Daimon is very fast. He hits hard with melee combo attacks, and will lunge forward with a sweeping punch.
When Daimon raises on hand and dashes forward, he’s attempting to grab. If you’re equipped well for combat, the grab should only take off half the Arisen’s health at most. Remember that the item menu can be opened even during a grab – heal if necessary before or after the attack lands.
To successfully escape the grab, roll or dodge toward him. You’ll phase straight through.
Daimon uses High Frigor, and launches a series of ice blasts from his hands. He does this often if you’re at medium range, so watch out.
Eventually, he’ll begin to use a massive earthquake spell, or call down random meteors. The battle becomes hectic around the halfway point, when Daimon will quickly summon multiple spells at once before resuming his attack.
Watch out when Daimon floats into the sky and begins to charge. He’s about to unleash one of his most powerful attacks. Hide behind the throne or use the standing pillars as cover. He summons several magic energy balls that track down the Arisen. Three hits can easy spell an instant death without magical defense.
To actually damage him, wait for Daimon to curl up and float into the air. He’s charging an attack that will draw the Arisen’s party in and kill them instantly – Pawns must be resummoned from a riftstone if the spell successfully lands.
Stop this attack! Target the head or hit Daimon with powerful skills until he’s toppled. He’ll stumble and float down, allowing the Pawns or the Arisen to continue to attack. If this second form is staggered, Daimon will drop flat onto the ground and remain stunned.
This is your chance to attack! While stunned on the ground, Daimon is far more vulnerable to attacks. Pop a Liquid Vim and relentlessly attack.
During the second phase of the fight, it’ll become harder to stun Daimon.
To manage the fight, bring several Wakestones. Incenses of all kinds will come in handy, to make sure the Pawns are topped up with health, and supply them all with provisions to bolster their stamina. A tired Pawn will put up a lousy fight.
But really, the Pawns will mostly only serve as a distraction. This fight is between Arisen and Dark Arisen. Stock up with plenty of defensive or offensive Pariapts.
Otherwise, this is all about leveling up. The first time players arrive to fight Daimon, it’ll become very apparent that some level grinding is in order.
This player fought Daimon at level 68, then returned later at level 80 to successfully defeat the boss. There are many challenges on Bitterblack Isle, try completing request board missions. Rarefy dragon gear, or return to the Rotunda of Dread and defeat a Wyrm for the possibility of dragonfiring your weapons or armor.
Simply traveling back and forth from Bitterblack Sanctum to the shortcut in the Corridor of the Hollowed is likely to earn the Arisen several levels.
Once Daimon is defeated, be sure to collect the items he drops. A door will open to the left of the throne with more treasure chests full of great gear.
Warning! Stop before leaving and consider — leaving through this door will complete Bitterblack Isle and reset the dungeon with far more powerful monsters.
If you’re up for the challenge, fighting through the upgraded Bitterblack Isle leads to a more powerful Daimon. He’ll have a second deadlier form for the Arisen to contend with.
Otherwise, congratulations! And enjoy the ending. Give yourself a pat on the back, this extremely tough expansion’s main story is complete.
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